Former State Sen. Ellen Roberts, a former Republican from Durango, was thinking of the next generation when she floated the idea of creating a group of junior and high school age students who could come close to the legislative process by shaping state legislation.
Doing is more meaningful than watching was at the core, as she met with a group of Durango High School students to talk about what they thought about the idea of being involved in legislation-creation at the Capitol.
In 2008, out of those conversations came the Colorado Youth Advisory Council, composed of one junior high or high school student from each of the state’s 35 senate districts and from the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribes. Working with interested legislators each session, the group advanced a few proposals to the Legislative Council; sometimes their initiatives moved forward, sometimes they didn’t. In either case, the effort was real-life.
Two weeks ago, the Youth Advisory Council almost came to an end. Its roughly $50,000 expense weighed on the state’s upcoming fiscal 2026 budget, which needs to be severely reduced. The money is used for a Capitol visit, a facilitator and a retreat, and committee meetings with legislators.
Now the Council is on firm footing (The Colorado Sun, Mar. 16). Republicans supported continuing it after it was agreed that there would be more of an arms’ length between the Council’s initiatives and any resulting legislative proposals. The legislation the students advocated for could be too liberal, they thought.
Roberts, reached this week, said that the Youth Council was one of her favorite accomplishments and that she knows of a few past Council members who are engaged in politics.
The Capitol, thanks to Roberts, is a fitting location to involve the next generation.
